Author Guest Post with Sara E. Tall

Welcome to one of the February 5th stops on the blog tour for Piper’s Song by Sara E. Tall, organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for alternate excerpts, reviews, other guest posts with the author, and a giveaway! (More on that at the end of this post.)

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Guest Post by Sara E. Tall

Top Fifteen Songs that Inspired Piper’s Song

Music is one of my favorite muses. I love looking back and seeing the songs that most shaped my story. There were a lot of songs that shaped and inspired Piper’s Song, but I managed to narrow it down to only 15. Enjoy!

15. Play with Fire by Sam Tinnesz and Yacht Monkey— Piper’s Song sees Billie exploring the extent of her power, and dealing with the consequences. It’s exhilarating, terrifying, and life altering all at the same time.

14. This Baby Don’t Cry by K.Flay— Despite everything she’s done for the school, Billie still finds herself getting hit from all sides. Learning to love and accept herself anyway is essential for her survival, on multiple levels.

13. This is Gospel by Panic! At the Disco— This song deals with tumultuous friendships and relationships, and realizing that we can’t control the actions of others, only how we treat them. Billie finds herself on both ends of this spectrum, and has to learn to both let others go as well as exert control over her own life, despite the pressure from others.

12. New Americana by Halsey— To me, this song deals with younger generations owning their own ideals, even when those ideals contradict traditional values. The students of Alpha are trapped in the world of violence and bigotry their predecessors helped create. While some follow in their parents footsteps, some are trying to correct their parents’ mistakes.

11. My Life is Going On by Cecilia Krull— Falling in love can be terrifying. It leaves its victims vulnerable and exposed, especially when the object of their affection is still a mystery. The scariest part is their victims don’t care. They’d follow their love off a cliff. At least, that’s Billie’s fear, and she’s not so far off base.

10. Solitaire/Rule the World by Kamelot—  Power— and what people do with it, or for it— is a central theme in Billie’s story. Up until recently, she’s never really considered herself powerful. That may have changed, but that doesn’t mean she had any idea what to do with her newfound power. It tempts her, confuses her, terrifies her, and sometimes brings out the worst in her. And those around her.

9. Dying in LA by Panic! At the Disco – All her life Billie wanted to be a Magi. To leave her dusty homeland behind and live in the beautiful and glorious Realm. She was so focused on this dream, she didn’t think about what she would have to give up to get it. Living your dream can be incredibly lonely.

8. Control by Halsey – Learning to control her gifts is a major motivator for Billie. If she doesn’t she could hurt someone, or worse. It’s also about regaining control of her life and story, before someone else gains control for her.

7. Rival by Ruelle – Billie is so focused on everyone and everything working against her, she doesn’t realize her worst enemy is within. We are our own worst enemy. We hold ourselves back, we don’t believe in ourselves, and we let ourselves be seduced by own our darkest desires. Any one of these could be Billie’s undoing.

6. Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie – So many of Alpha’s problems come from their inability to get along with each other, for every sort of reason. If they could all get over themselves for five minutes, they’d realize they have more in common than they think. They’d also realize they have so much more to gain by working with each other instead of against each other.

5. Castle by Halsey – For better or worse, and however much she might not be ready for it, Billie may be the only thing standing between the students of Alpha and total destruction. No pressure.

4. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran – Fire is a major theme in Billie’s life. It’s both heartwarming, and destructive, just like her and her power. But those who play with fire always get burned, a lesson Billie learns the hard way.

3. Rise by Skillet – An oppressed people can only take so much before they inevitably rise up. As someone who toes the line between both groups, Billie is caught in the crossfire. She also might be the only one that can keep them from destroying themselves completely.

2. Phoenix by Fall Out Boy – Phoenix’s are fascinating mystical creatures. Their ability to literally rise from the dead inspires ideologies of rebirth, transformation, and second chances. However, that’s a double-edged sword. Transformation doesn’t always happen for the better. It depends on who is pulling the strings. 1. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin – Piper’s Song official, unofficial theme song. This song has a lot of meanings and interpretations, but it definitely deals with misdirection— with people or ideas that pretend to be something they’re not. In paths that take us somewhere we weren’t intending to go. In hidden agendas. Deceptions. Doubts. It really makes you wonder.

About the Book

Piper’s Song
Alpha Academy Book Two
by Sara E. Tall

Published 28 September 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 253

Billie thinks stopping her fellow students from committing murder and almost getting kicked out of the Realm is as bad as it gets, but she should know better. Not only are seven of the most powerful students out for her blood, but Sedna —her former enemy turned ally— turns her enemy again when Billie refuses a part in her revenge scheme. What’s more, Alpha Administration’s refusal to address the injustice in their school is sparking a full-on rebellion, and a lot of innocents are going to be caught in the crosshairs. It isn’t just the school either, the Realm itself is overrun with violence and hatred, which will have deadly consequences. Lucian, her self-imposed magical guru, insists Billie’s extraordinary magic is the key to stopping the flood of violence coming their way. Billie knows her magic is extraordinary, but she also knows its destructive power. It might do more harm than good.

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Excerpt

I didn’t think about what I did next, I just couldn’t let Artemis finish whatever curse she was starting, or I’d end up covered in leeches again. With a grunt I flung my arm, sending the orb racing her way. Several people around us screamed. She barely had time to open her eyes before the orb slammed into her midriff, sending her flying back. Her back smacked against the wall and then she collapsed in a heap on the floor. She didn’t get back up.

There were more screams, and several students glanced back at me in shock. I felt my hands fly to my mouth, but that was all I did. I couldn’t process what was in front of me. Artemis was lying limp on the floor, and I had caused it. But somehow, it didn’t seem real.

As time still ticked by, and Artemis didn’t budge, I was forced to accept it was, in fact, real. I needed to do something before things got worse. But just as I took a tentative step forward, a pale figure darted to her side.

Lucian immediately checked her vitals, which made the knot in my chest unbearably tight. I took another step forward, and the students moved out of my way. Some of Artemis’ friends glared daggers at me as I walked by, but none of them tried to stop me.

Lucian was no longer checking for vitals, but had pulled Artemis into his arms and was tending to a cut on her temple. There was something almost tender about the way he patched her up. It made me not want to interrupt, but I had to know.

About the Author

Sara’s enjoyed creating fantastic stories since she was old enough to hold a play sword, around the time she learned how to walk. Gradually she learned to direct her creative energy into writing, and it’s been a downward spiral ever since then. When she’s not writing she’s probably either dancing or reading batman comics. She also loves running away to the mountains of Utah and Montana. Nothing gets more fantastic that those views.

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Giveaway Alert!

Sara E. Tall will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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